The invention relates to ventilators, and particularly to a quick connect valve for connecting a nebulizer or a fluid collection reservoir into a hose of a respirator.
Patients having ventilatory difficulties often are connected to ventilators. A ventilator provides positive pressure in an inspirator hose, the opposite end of which is connected by means of a Y connector to a bronchial tube inserted into the patient's throat. An expiratory hose is connected to the remaining port of the Y connector, which is connected in series with an expiratory manifold that is closed so that air forced from the ventilator into the inspiratory hose forces a "breath" into the patient. When the expiratory manifold opens, reducing pressure in the bronchial tube, pressure in the patient's lungs allows exhalation through the expiratory manifold.
It is frequently necessary to apply a mist of liquid medication into the air stream forced through the inspiratory hose by the ventilator. In present practice, the inspiratory hose is disconnected from the ventilator, a T connector is used to reconnect the inspiratory hose to the ventilator, and a tapered female end of the nebulizer is inserted into the remaining port of the T connector. The liquid medication mist then is injected from the nebulizer into the inspiratory air stream. When the nebulizer is removed, the inspiratory hose again is disconnected, the T connector is removed, and inspiratory hose is reconnected to the ventilator.
There are a number of highly undesirable aspects to this previous technique for injecting medication mist from a nebulizer into the inspiratory hose. The disconnecting of certain patients from the positive pressure in the inspiratory hose can be dangerous, because maintaining a minimum level of positive pressure in the inspiratory hose may prevent partial collapsing of the lungs in certain patients. Mucous and condensation frequently build up on the inner walls of the inspiratory hose. Breaking the connection of the inspiratory hose to the ventilator exposes those hospital personnel to the mucous, which may leak out of the disconnected end of the hose, and hence to the bacteria therein. Opening the inspiratory hose also can allow microorganisms which are usually present in hospitals to enter into the inspiratory stream, providing a wide open path directly into the patient's lungs, possibly inducing infection which might be dangerous to the patient. Disconnecting the inspiratory hose may cause the bronchial tube to wobble in the patient's throat, causing considerable discomfort in some cases.
There clearly is a presently unmet need for an improved apparatus and method for injecting medicated mist from a nebulizer into the inspiratory air stream produced by a ventilator.